Prevention and dental cleaning

On this page we explain everything about prevention and dental cleaning, and how we work in this regard.

Prevention

Prevention is better than cure. Prevention means prevention. In dentistry, prevention is mainly aimed at preventing cavities, gum problems and accidents.

The most important thing your dentist can do for you is to tell you what you can do for yourself.

At the first consultation and each subsequent check-up, we reassess your risks and discuss with you, by giving advice, instructions and motivation, what you can do for yourself. After all – our main job is to inform you about your oral health situation but you are in charge of your body, and in the end it is up to you to decide what you want to do for yourself.

Old-fashioned dentistry has focused primarily on drilling, filling and tooth extraction. Modern dentistry sees the importance of prevention in the first instance to prevent problems and secondarily also to prevent a relapse after treatment. That is why one of the most important tasks of an oral care team (dentist and assistant) is to provide you with important information and to motivate you about various topics such as your diet, sugar intake, and brushing behavior (frequency, brushing method, type of toothbrushes, interdental cleaning, etc. .) to adjust.

Children under 18 require special attention. Depending on age, we discuss various topics with parents and children, such as: thumbs (prevention of abnormal jaw and bite development), bottle (prevention of "bottle caries"), diet, caries prevention in milk teeth and brushing teeth, sweets, fluoride, protection of permanent teeth after the breakthrough using sealing, fluoride, detecting incipient cavities and stopping using minimally invasive treatment (caries treatment without drilling), but also preventing accidents, e.g. We recommend wearing a mouthguard for (contact) sports.

At the beginning of wear we recommend bite protection plate to prevent further wear and in case of erosion we recommend a change in eating and drinking behaviour. We do not only focus on prevention of your oral health, but also overall health. Periodontal health is one of the pillars of oral and overall health. Very often the fact is ignored that there is a relationship between periodontitis (gum disease) and overall health, which, however, does exist! “Mouth is the mirror of health”. By improving your brushing behavior, becoming aware of the problem, and treating periodontitis, you contribute to improving your overall health (periodontitis is considered a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, diabetes complications, rheumatism, Alzheimer's, cancer pregnancy…).

You can find more about Prevention at: https://www.tandarts.nl/mondzorg/preventie

Food and drink and healthy teeth

The foods you choose and the number of times you eat affect your overall health and oral health. Consuming too much sugar, fruit juices and snacks, in particular, has a negative effect on the health of your mouth. Common problems include dental caries, inflamed gums and tooth erosion.

All the food you eat comes into contact in your mouth with the bacteria that live in your mouth. These bacteria convert sugars and starch from food into acid. So every time the bacteria in the mouth come into contact with sugar, acid is produced. This acid attacks the teeth. The more often you eat and the longer the food stays in your mouth, the more tooth decay will develop.

Tips for a healthy diet

Stick to a healthy and varied diet.
Make sure you drink enough water.
Drink as little soft drinks as possible (not even diet drinks, these do not contain sugars but do contain acids).
Limit the number of meals and drinks to seven times a day, including snacks.
Swallow drinks as quickly as possible.
When snacking, make sure to choose foods that are low in sugar, such as cheese, raw vegetables, plain yogurt, or a piece of fruit.
Do not brush your teeth immediately after eating or drinking acidic drinks or foods, but wait about an hour. Brush your teeth at least twice a day.
Stimulate the production of saliva by chewing sugar-free gum. Saliva has a neutralizing effect.

Toothbrushing

One of the methods of removing plaque with a manual toothbrush is as follows:

1. Place the brush at an angle (45 degrees) on the gums and in back and forth movements, without pushing too hard.
2. Brush the outside of all your teeth, both top and bottom.
3. Use the same method to brush your teeth on the inside.
4. Brush the top of your molars.
5. To brush the inside of your teeth, it's best to hold your toothbrush vertically and move it up and down from top to bottom.
6. Brushing your tongue also contributes to healthy teeth. This removes bacteria.

Review the entire teeth on both the cheek side and the tongue side. A good brushing takes at least two minutes. The teeth and molars become clean and the fluoride has time to do its protective work (against cavities). In general, brush twice a day.

Brushing teeth with an electric toothbrush

Toothbrush with a round head

Place the brush at a slight angle on the tooth surface just over the gumline. Use little pressure.

Hold the brush still on the tooth or molar for a few seconds. The brush makes the brushing movement itself.
Move the brush to move it to the next tooth. Follow the shape of your teeth and molars, so that the brush also comes between your teeth.
Keep a fixed brushing order and also pay attention to the back of the last molars and the inside of your teeth.

You can ask your dentist or dental hygienist for brushing instructions.

Toothbrush with a rectangular head

To use an electric toothbrush with the rectangular head, you can use the brushing technique as described for a manual toothbrush. However, here too the brush makes the brushing movement for you, so only placing the brush on the teeth is sufficient.

Toothbrushes

There are different types of toothbrushes. Although more and more people are opting for an electric toothbrush, a manual toothbrush is still used regularly. The choice of a toothbrush depends on your personal oral care needs. In any case, use a toothbrush with a small brush head and medium to soft bristles.

Toothpaste

Fluoride in toothpaste makes tooth enamel stronger. It is therefore important to brush with a fluoride toothpaste from the moment children get their first baby teeth. For both children and adults, a scoop of toothpaste on the toothbrush is sufficient. Based on studies and advice from the UK Oral Health Foundation, we advise our patients to spit out only after brushing and not to rinse with water. In this way, the rest of fluoride on the enamel continues to act for longer.

tongue scraper

The tongue scraper is an important tool against bad breath (halitosis). The tongue has a very irregular structure due to the different papillae (bumps). So food residues and bacteria also remain on the tongue. These can cause bad breath.

The tongue can be cleaned with a tongue scraper. By moving the tongue scraper from the back of the tongue to the tip of the tongue, you scrape the bacteria away, as it were. The tongue scraper should be rinsed well after use.

Source: KNMT and Dr GA van der Weijden, dentist-periodontist/implantologist

Risks X-rays

Everyone is exposed to background radiation from, for example, the earth and the universe on a daily basis. The amount of radiation to which we are exposed differs per area. In the Netherlands we receive less radiation than in, for example, high-lying and mountainous places. A minimal amount of radiation is used when taking X-rays at the dentist. This minimizes the risk of adverse health effects. The amount of radiation, for example, can be compared with the amount of radiation you incur during a 14-day winter sports holiday. Of course, with radiation, no matter how small, the usefulness of the X-ray must always be weighed up against the risks of radiation. There is then a chance that an inflammation or other dental abnormality will not be detected or will be detected too late.

Cleaning between the teeth

Your regular toothbrush only cleans the inside, outside and bite surfaces of the tooth. Do not forget to clean the surfaces between the teeth. Where the bacteria can multiply if not disturbed.
The choice of interdental cleaning products depends on individual needs and preferences.

There are several ways to clean between your teeth, depending on the size of your gaps and your personal preference. The most effective method is to use an interdental brush. When the spaces between the teeth are very tight or small, soft picks, sticks or floss are also good means for interdental cleaning.

Brushing teeth with children

You start brushing your child's teeth from the moment the first milk tooth has erupted. It is recommended to brush your child's teeth at least once a day up to 2 years and twice a day from 2 years.

Brushing your teeth with your child is best done by standing behind your child and resting his head slightly back against you. This way you keep one hand free to keep the cheek and lips slightly to the side. The little ones are preferably brushed lying down, for example on a changing table. Use a small, soft-bristled toothbrush appropriate for your child's age and apply some toothpaste. Make gentle, horizontal strokes over both teeth and gums.

As your child gets older, you can give your child more responsibility by having their teeth brushed themselves. Up to the age of 10 it is important to brush the teeth at least once a day, preferably in the evening. Even afterwards it is important to regularly check and supervise the brushing of your teeth. Ask your dentist/dental hygienist for individual brushing advice.

Hard-to-reach places

It is important to pay extra attention to hard-to-reach places:

• The molars on the cheek side in the upper jaw. Tip: don't let the mouth open too wide.
• The molars on the tongue side in the lower jaw. Tip: place the toothbrush under the tongue.
• Breaking dials. Tip: You can reach molars in the lower jaw via the cheek side, molars in the upper jaw via the tongue side. Place the toothbrush, preferably not too large, at right angles to the molars.
• The lower teeth in the front. Tip: let the lower lip relax or keep it slightly down.

Use fluoride with deciduous teeth

Fluoride makes teeth stronger and it helps to prevent cavities in teeth. That is why most toothpastes contain fluoride. Brushing your teeth is currently seen as the best way to apply fluoride. From the moment that children get the first baby teeth, it is therefore important that you brush with fluoride toothpaste, tailored to the age of your child.

What to do if your child does not cooperate

It happens that toddlers do not want to cooperate while brushing. Every child is different so finding the right approach can take time. For example, suggestions include:

• Make brushing your teeth part of your daily grooming ritual.
• Let your child get used to the toothbrush from the moment the first tooth comes through.
• Let your child watch while you brush your teeth.
• Have your child stand in front of the mirror (or hold a hand mirror) and watch as you brush his/her teeth.
• Make sure your child is aware of the beginning and end of the ritual; for example by singing a song.
• Choose a nice toothbrush for your child and involve your child in this (fake) choice.

Source: KNMT, NVvK and Dr. GA van der Weijden, dentist periodontist/implantologist